Moving to China from Serbia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Serbia to China — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Serbia to China, you would find that China is 14.8% cheaper than Serbia overall. A RSD7,694,475 salary in Serbia would need to be roughly CN¥373,036 in China to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Chinese.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Serbia to China.
What does your salary buy?
RSD7,694,475 → CN¥373,036
To maintain the same standard of living in China
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 67.6% less
Groceries
pay 0.3% less
Transportation
pay 40.1% less
Housing
pay 46.6% less
Childcare
pay 89.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 1.1% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in China cost about 36% less than cities in Serbia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Serbia to China.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Serbia generally does better on safety, though China leads in homicide rate.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Serbia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
Serbia performs better than China across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Serbia generally does better on infrastructure, though China leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Serbia generally does better on employment & economy, though China leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Serbia generally does better on family life, though China leads in life expectancy.
Data: Ministry of Finance, Republic of Serbia, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Belgrade | Beijing |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/33°F (7°/0°C) | 42°/22°F (6°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/53°F (22°/12°C) | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) | 83°/66°F (29°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 53°/39°F (11°/4°C) | 51°/32°F (11°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Belgrade | Beijing |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°/28°F (3.5°/-2.3°C) | 35°/15°F (1.6°/-9.4°C) |
| Feb | 44°/32°F (6.4°/-0.2°C) | 39°/20°F (4.0°/-6.9°C) |
| Mar | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.3°C) | 52°/31°F (11.3°/-0.6°C) |
| Apr | 64°/46°F (17.5°/7.8°C) | 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.2°C) |
| May | 72°/54°F (22.5°/12.1°C) | 80°/56°F (26.4°/13.2°C) |
| Jun | 78°/59°F (25.3°/15.0°C) | 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.3°C) | 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.6°C) |
| Aug | 81°/61°F (27.3°/16.1°C) | 85°/69°F (29.5°/20.4°C) |
| Sep | 75°/55°F (23.7°/13.0°C) | 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) |
| Oct | 65°/47°F (18.1°/8.3°C) | 66°/45°F (19.0°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 52°/39°F (11.0°/4.0°C) | 50°/31°F (10.1°/-0.4°C) |
| Dec | 42°/32°F (5.3°/-0.2°C) | 38°/20°F (3.3°/-6.9°C) |
Data:
Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia,
China Meteorological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Serbia and China. To live, work, or study long-term in China, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check China's immigration authority.
Serbia passport holder visiting China
Visa Free
China passport holder visiting Serbia
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in China than Serbia?
Yes — China is on average about 27% cheaper than Serbia. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to China?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly CN¥93,259 in China on a RSD7,694,475 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from China?
Internet is rarely the blocker — China has 41.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is China safe for expats?
Serbia generally does better on safety, though China leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in China is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.0 in Serbia.
How is healthcare in China compared to Serbia?
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Serbia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 25.2 doctors per 10,000 people in China, compared to 28.4 in Serbia. China scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Serbia: 72).
What's the weather like in China compared to Serbia?
The average high temperature in Beijing is 64°F, compared to 62°F in Belgrade. Beijing receives around 22.8 in of rainfall per year, while Belgrade gets 26.9 in.
What language do they speak in China?
The official language in China is Chinese. In Serbia, the official language is Serbian.
